


always know where your towel is

by gwmclintock88



Series: Mar-vell Pokemon [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: 0-8-4 Day, Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Gen, Mentions of homeliness, Origin Story, too young to be in a relationship (so none yet)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2014-08-05
Packaged: 2018-02-11 20:37:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2082345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwmclintock88/pseuds/gwmclintock88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Academy offers anyone a chance to be a Pokemon master. Even a kid living on the streets. </p><p>[Or the one where Skye sneaks into the Academy, hacks a pokedex, and somehow gets a scholarship]</p>
            </blockquote>





	always know where your towel is

**Author's Note:**

> I've been trying to get this finished for a while, but finally, I'm happy with how this started.
> 
> This is the first in a planned series (I'm not abandoning anything else), and will be working on this periodically.

Even as the rain pounded the streets of the town, people hurried along. Umbrellas and rain gear in vogue, everyone continued about their business. The cold wind curled up under their jackets and coats, brushing the bodies in an effort to get just a little closer. The masses huddled together to fight off the bitterness, unwittingly moving as one with few rushing against the tide. They spoke on their pokegears, using their pokewalkers to direct their movements. Everyone held their heads down, minding their steps and business. Even the Pokemon, the few released from their pokeballs, concentrated upon their steps, hurrying between the legs of the rivers of people.

The rivers of people trickled down to a few as the day moved on, while the storms above continued to ravage the town. Now, only the busy, the insane, and the desperate remained on the street, enduring a savage autumn storm. Almost everyone was prepared for it, but for the few that weren’t, the cold bite cut the remaining summer winds to a memory.

Hidden behind a restaurant, Skye cursed her luck as the rain continued to flood the alleyway and rush out to the street. She pulled her legs in closer, trying to keep her feet underneath her soaked jeans. Her jacket remained dry, barely, but too thin for a winter coming too soon. She always survived on the minimum, heading to the overcrowded shelters only when she couldn’t stand to be in the cold anymore. Or Liz needed the help.

Holding Liz close served two functions: First, Skye always knew where the Eevee was, so falling asleep and thinking she wandered off somewhere would not happen again; second, it helped fight off the growing chill from the torrential downpour. Liz borrowed her head into her neck, trying to get closer. Shivering, she just hugged Liz tighter, thankful at least no one, if they stopped to look at her or found her, would see her crying.

The wind picked up, swirling and spinning the rain further into their little alcove, but Skye remained huddled in the corner. She clenched down, trying to prevent her teeth from chattering. The growl of her stomach echoed through her over the bite of the wind, reminding her they didn’t eat for the day. Not that they really had a chance, what with the storm hitting the city since early this morning.

“We’ll sneak out once there’s a break,” she whispered to Liz, who mewled and licked her neck. Her hand, wet from the rain, tried to clear her eyes. “It’ll be okay.”

Things weren’t okay. Even with the strides made by companies like Stark Industries, the pokelabs spread out across Mar-Vell, and the inventors sprouting like weeds all over the world, people fell through the cracks and no one noticed. Skye’s fall probably paralleled dozens of stories, but she avoided most of the others, especially the older men. She tried to not cause trouble, taking only what she needed from the few places she could hack her way into without anyone noticing. But nothing lasted long enough for her, except for Liz.

As a foster kid, she lived off the patronage of others. Whether it was the foster home, the group home, or even now on the street, she survived with very few things and only on what others were willing to part with. Other kids had it worse than her, but it didn’t matter if you stayed or left. The only real choice most foster kids had wasn’t their choice: either get adopted or released to be a trainer.

Starting at the age of fifteen, any kid could get their trainer’s license and head out to battle their way through the Mar-Vell. Outside the towns (and sometimes even in them), things got hairy. Wild Pokemon offered no quarter, and the list of the dead foster kids (or at least ones she knew) grew longer every year.

Of course, not everyone became a trainer, but for orphans and foster kids, it offered a chance of everything they dreamed about: to be recognized. Being a trainer meant trying to reach the Indigo League of Mar-Vell, where only the best could make it and be crowned Pokemon League Champion. Skye dreamed about it for years; they all had in the group homes. But she didn’t think she’d ever get the chance to go there now. Not since running away from her last foster home.

It still ranked as the right decision (maybe not the best one, but definitely the right one), but some days, like today, Skye wondered if she’d have been better off just riding it out for a few more years. She couldn’t stay with the foster family any longer, not after what happened, and her social worker ignored every compliant she lodged or tried to place. Part of her wished she just headed back to the orphanage, where at least she’d been fed regularly (not that the food was much better there than out on the streets).

But she’d never found Liz, and now, she couldn’t imagine a life without her in it. Her first week on the streets, Skye spent it running from place to place. She begged for anything, and sometimes got it. But she missed at least being with others, even if they didn’t want to be with her. Just when she thought about going back, she found the Eevee.

She found her one morning, sniffing around the small shelter Skye created (made up of a box and some cardboard). The Eevee ran away, hiding behind a dumpster in her alley. Skye remembered a staring contest, watching her as she gazed back. Most of the morning passed with the two of them just staring at each other. Finally, the Eevee approached in tiny steps, wobbling slightly as Skye reached out to let it get her scent. A healing scar poked out of her fur. When she tried to touch it, the Eevee backed away, starting this dance all over again. Eventually, the Eevee got comfortable with Skye, staying around to share some of the cupcake Skye had been saving.

Four years later, here they were, grasping each other for fleeting warmth. Yes, the last four years sucked, but she wouldn’t have Liz, and she couldn’t make herself wish any of it away.

“Looks like it’s clearing up,” she said. Her breath came out in white bursts. She tried to borrow herself deeper into the solid wall, getting away from the splashes of water. The storm shifted, the wind now curling away from them. “Maybe we can get out there and find some food.” Things certainly weren’t clearing up, but the white lie helped ease some of her fear. She’d gotten good at that, even if Liz never believed them.

From her alcove in the alleyway, she watched a mass of people, of children, moving toward the building across the street. In her cold, fogged memory, she tried to recall what it was, but for a moment, that really didn’t matter. Other wet children meant she could get out of the cold, even for a little bit. Maybe.

“Think it would work?” Liz poked her head out of her neck, barking in agreement. “Let’s go.”

Skye struggled to her feet, pushing back against the wall to stand on wobbly feet. Pins and needles shot through her tired legs, and what little warmth she felt evaporated with her breath. Liz struggled a little bit in her arms, the sudden change upsetting the pokemon. She waited, letting the feeling come back to her legs and Liz calm down before stepping out into the storm.

Once she thought she could stand without falling flat, she took off, racing the rainfall. She slipped into the crowd, weaving between everyone and avoiding any one from putting their hands where they shouldn’t. They mostly ignored her, thankfully. The few who looked at her quickly glanced away. Usually, they avoided eye contact because she looked like trash, now at least the rain cleaned her up a bit.

At the edge of the street, she waited, letting the random car pass her first before sprinting across the street. Her luck continued as she stepped into deep pothole. The water rushed up her pants, soaking her even more.

“Fuck,” she said, barely letting the words carry off her breath. Hopping onto the sidewalk, she bolted toward the door, and more importantly, the awning above it. She shook herself, trying to get most of the water clinging to her off. Liz hopped out of her arms, copying her and coating Skye in more water.

“You with the group?” A teenage boy asked her. She looked up at him, eyebrows high and eyes wide. No one noticed her, or if they did, it was just to tell her to get the fuck out.

“Umm…” She nodded, biting her lip to prevent any lie from getting out. The boy scrutinized her, slowly working his way up from her toes to her dirt-smeared face.

“Get inside then.” He waved her in, nearly letting the door hit her as he began to walk forward to catch up with the group. The boy didn’t stick around, seemingly more interested in what the group leader was saying or something. Still, they were out of the storm at least.

“Let’s see if we can’t find the kitchen,” Skye whispered. Liz nodded in agreement before dropping her head and sniffing the floor. Liz always found the best food, the freshest, even if that meant pulling bit of mold off the bread. They walked together, Skye with her eyes searching around them and Liz searching for a scent, succulent or otherwise.

“-a Pokemon of your own.” A voice ahead of them carried out into the hallway. She stopped to peer into the room where she though the voice originated. “Some of you already do.”

The owner of the voice wore a suit, like one businessmen (and women) wore, or something like that. Besides him, a Growlithe sat proudly on display.

“Our goal today is simple: introduce all of you to the world of Pokemon. For some of you, that just means receiving your first from us.” He clicked a button in his hand, illuminated the wall behind him. Skye joined the room in awe as they stared at the wall of pokeballs. “These are a selection of Pokemon from the region, all age appropriate and acceptable to start with on your journey.

“This journey isn’t going to be easy, whether you begin right away on the Gym Challenge or start at the Academy. But the most important thing will be right beside you.” The man knelt down to pet the Growlithe. “Your pokemon are more than tools to be weld in battle.” He scratched the pokemon’s chin, causing it to lean into his body. “They are your friends. Trust them, and they will trust you.”

“Thank you Agent Coulson,” a woman said. Liz jumped in Skye’s lap, and she probably would have joined her pokemon had she been trying not to blend into the shadows. She wore a suit, similar to Coulson’s. Dressed sharply, Skye wondered if both of them actually were trainers and not corporate puppets or something. “Line up in two rows. To the left of the stage, I want those who will be receiving a pokemon and a pokedex. To the right, I want those who will just be receiving the pokedex.” The woman motioned to both sides of the stage and the other children began to slowly move forward, talking excitedly amongst themselves.

Skye watched a girl about her age, maybe a year or two older, talked with a group of girls. Some were giggling about something, but a few looked serious and anxious. They moved along in the left line, ignoring the other children around them, or rather being ignored. Some of the older kids tried to play it cool and serious, but even from all the way at the top of the auditorium, Skye watched nervous dancing and hands twitching.

The teenager who let her in earlier stood at the line on the right, taking notes and handing out red hand-held devices. Skye stared longingly at them, absently brushing Liz’s fur as she wondering what it would be like to have one.

Pokedexes were typically designed to record data about the trainers, the pokemon a trainer caught or seen, and locations of any identified pokemon. After that, any customizations were supposed to be up to the trainer, but Skye heard some kids talking about how they could handling breeding trees, communication devices, even training for pokemon. They were amazing and one of the few things Skye ever wanted for herself in life.

Besides Liz of course.

Agent Coulson, the speaker, sat on the stage, playing with the Growlithe and talking with some of the kids sticking around even after they got their pokemon or pokedexes. He kept a small smirk on his face, not sarcastic or anything, but more calmly optimistic. He didn’t turn anyone away, looking at them as they spoke to him. A girl bounced with excitement, reverently holding her pokeball with both hands as she spoke with Coulson.

“We’re going to be there someday,” she whispered to Liz. The Eevee silently agreed, nodding along as they watched the lines grow smaller and smaller. Finally, with the last pokedex handed out, the teenage boy left with the woman. The children were ushered out, to who knows where. Coulson glanced around the room. Skye froze, trying to hide in the shadows. Eventually, the man turned and walked away, and she could breathe again.

Liz hopped off Skye’s lap to let her up. Now with everyone somewhere, they could explore a bit more. They never took more than they needed, and Skye tried to keep a mental tally of the cost. She’d pay everyone back, if she could. Maybe. Some people certainly didn’t deserve all the opulence they lived in, like the banker who installed spikes outside of his building. She hadn’t the chance to work her way through the man’s system yet, but eventually, she’d take the time to really screw him over. For now, survival meant minimal theft. One hand on the door, Skye glanced back at the stage, where several pokedexes still remained.

“Wait here,” Skye said. She walked as quietly as she could, keeping her steps light. Liz shuffled at the top, letting out a soft whine. “Hey, relax, it’s okay.”

She walked carefully, slipping between shadows left by the chairs and desks in the room. She kept an eye on doorway where everyone disappeared. With each step, she focused more on the pokedexes left on the table.

Once at the desk, she stared at them. Liz nudged her leg, quietly sneaking down to her side. Skye glanced at the doorway again, gauging her desires to touch the piece of technology versus getting caught.

“This…is…awesome!” Skye said. Her voice echoed through the room, bouncing around them. She held in the squeal, and looked at Liz. “I wonder how it works?”

Skye ran her fingers over the red, white, and black casing. Her finger left a trail of dirty water droplets along the smooth plastic. “Buttons, buttons, buttons.” She flipped the pokedex, weighing it and playing with it. Not there were too many options.

She tapped the front button once before letting her fingers dance along some of the buttons on the side of it. The technology whirled beneath the plastics; the power source vibrated in its casing.

Something clicked at the front. Flipping the top, a set of screens reflected her image back up at her for a few moments. The screen lit brightly in the darken room, even with the glare from the illuminated hallway.

“Look at this,” Skye showed Liz the blue screen and white text flashing along the screen. She knelt down so the Eevee could watch too.

More buttons were on the inside, including a keypad. Skye began to tap them, flying through screens. She kept her eyes on the screen, keeping track of the patterns of numbers and code used within the pokedex. Images of pokemon, hundreds of them flashed over the screen behind the code. She focused on the code, rather than the images.

The codes within computers held infinite amounts of information; locations, connections, descriptions, correlations, all held trapped within the code. She learned quickly to read it, if only to get a few credits here or there, or to find a safe, warm place to bunk down for the night. Liz helped when she could, but most of the time the Eevee stood lookout while Skye hacked their way to dinner. Not too often of course; too many incidents in a location would draw them unwanted attention.

“Let’s see what this does.” She tapped a few buttons on the pokedex. A camera screen appeared, showing her muddy shoes and soaked jeans. She couldn’t figure out how to take a picture, but aimed the back at Liz. The screen focused on her, shifting before flashing. “Wow.”

“Eevee!” Liz bounded over to her side, nudging her leg.

Words began to form on the screen. She knew they were words, since she recognized the letters. “Eevee,” she read, “the ev-ev-evo-”

“Evolution pokemon.” Skye fumbled the pokedex at the voice. She spun around to see the man from earlier, Coulson, standing in the open doorway. The light from the hallway covered his face in darkness. “Sorry. I think there was a light bulb burned out back here.” He stepped into the room, giving her a small smile.

Skye fumbled the pokedex as she tried to wave her hand. “Hi.” Liz moved in front of her, growling as the Growlithe bounced out behind the man.

“Normally, we take these with us,” Coulson said. He waved his hand at the box on the desk. “But our assistant wandered off for his own training before he finished his work.”

“I’m sorry, I just…” Skye said. She kept looking between him, the pokedex, and the floor. “I didn’t break it or anything. Honest.”

“These are locked,” Coulson said,” or at least, they usually are.” He stopped only a few feet from her. His Growlith seemed content to follow, letting Liz approve first. “How did you activate it?”

“Ummm,” Skye fumbled over her words. She closed it before turning it over in her hands. She couldn’t lose Liz, not for some stupid mistake she made, not for anything.”

“It’s impressive.” Coulson said. He stood relaxed, like he wasn’t talking to a thief or anything (which she totally was, but couldn’t admit to if she wanted to keep Liz). “Most kids, well, they just show up because it’s mandated. ‘A pokemon trainer must have a pokedex before beginning their journeys.’ The few that are interested in it beyond identifying their opponent’s pokemon see things a bit differently.”

Skye nodded, “it’s pretty cool.”

“Yeah, it is, isn’t it?” Coulson glanced down at her hands then back at her. She felt her knees knock together as she started to shake. She quickly knelt down, wrapping her arms around Liz.

“Please. I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to. We just came in to get out of the rain. And we heard you guys – I didn’t want to cause you any trouble – I’m sorry.” Skye rambled, slightly curling herself around Liz. The pokemon nuzzled her neck, licking it. “Please don’t take her from me.” She felt the tears drip off her cheeks. She couldn’t bear to whisper anything else, not if it meant looking back at the man. All she wanted was a chance. And just like all the other times, she blew it.

Coulson spoke after several long, silent moments, “What would you say if I offered you a deal?” Skye looked up out of Liz’s fur.

“What kind of deal?” She asked hesitantly. She stood up – the better to run – as she spoke. Deals usually meant she lost something to someone, a something she didn’t want to give up to a someone who didn’t deserve it. People were all alike, and she certainly didn’t expect this man to be any different from any of the rest.

“A battle.” Coulson took a step back, his hands still outside of his pockets. “You win you keep the pokedex and listen to my offer.”

“And if you win?”

“If I win, then you give back the pokedex and walk out of here.”

Skye stared at him, trying to figure out the angle. She never battle before, so leaving here to get back on the street wasn’t a bad option. But something about the offer…she had to win to get it, meaning it wasn’t sleazy…okay, it probably wasn’t sleazy.

“What do you think?” She whispered to Liz. “Think we should try?” She glanced up at Coulson, not knowing Liz copied the movement. She and her pokemon stared at the man, trying to figure him out. He seemed nice, maybe. Definitely not in a pervy way. “Okay.”

Coulson nodded and then said, “Follow me.”

He led her back out the hallway. After a few steps, Liz squirmed in her arms. The Eevee jumped to the floor, sliding a bit. Growlithe seemed to chuckle as he followed Coulson, only to shrink a little under the combined glares Skye and Liz sent him. Coulson kept walking, ignoring her as he guided them along. The man made no sound: Even his foots steps were creepy silent.

Skye kept glancing around, trying to figure out which way was the exit. She shouldn’t have given in; it couldn’t end, not like this. Liz looked back at her, seemingly more relaxed than she was. Of course, Liz hadn’t figured out they were about to be murdered. This had all the tell-tale signs of a murder-movie plot, or maybe the tropes since she hadn’t been able to afford to go to a movie in forever (not that it stopped her and Liz from sneaking into a few).

She gripped the pokedex tighter. At least she had a weapon, though a one-off shot so she shouldn’t miss. Then she’d need to run back to the room they just came from, but the amount of turns and dark hallways twisted her sense of direction. Only she could really do was hope he wasn’t going to kill her at any point. Or worse.

“Here we are,” Coulson said. He looked over his shoulder, as if to check up on her. She returned the look with a trembling smile. “This training room should be good for a battle.” He stepped through the doorway, flicking a switch to his left as he entered.

Skye glanced over her shoulder at the empty hallway. This was her chance to run, to make her way and get out of here before someone found (or didn’t find) her dead body in an alleyway. Instead, she took a deep breath and followed Coulson into the room.

“So, have you ever battled before?” Coulson spun around from the center of the room.

Skye shook her head as she tried to take in her surroundings. The room was mainly filled by the arena, white marks on each side for the trainers. There were a few rows of seats on one wall, but other than that, she really couldn’t find anything remarkable about the room. Except that it wasn’t some creepy dungeon or murder-torture room.

Coulson just nodded at her response. “I will stand over here,” he pointed at one of the white boxes on the floor, “and you will stand over there.” He pointed to the other one across from it. “We each will use one pokemon. You may use Liz, and I will use something more appropriate.” He finally shifted his jacket to reveal a set of pokeballs along his belt.

“What about him?” Skye pointed at the Growlithe.

“He’s a little too advanced for your level,” Coulson said. A smile seemed to creep along his face, genuine and happy. “For now.”

“How do you know?” She glanced at Liz, then at the Growlithe. “I mean, he looks about the same age.”

“You can use the pokedex to identify other pokemon, along with their strengths, weaknesses, and even their overall level.” Coulson unclipped a pokemon from his belt before holding it up. He activated it, tapping the button on the front. In a flash of light, a black and red bird started flapping its wings widely. It circled around Coulson before landing several feet in from of him.

“Fletch!” The pokemon screeched.

“Use the pokedex to identify it,” Coulson said, prompting Skye to take her eyes off the pokemon. She’d had never seen one before, but that could be because she really hadn’t seen too many outside of the few on the streets (mainly Rattatas, a few Meowths, and a lot of bug pokemon).

Skye brought the camera interface up again and aimed the lens at the bird pokemon. It quickly snapped a picture of it. She knelt down to let Liz look at the screen as well.

“Fletching. The tiny robin pokemon.” A mechanical voice chirped from the pokedex, repeating the information from the screen. Height and weight appeared along with the information, though she wasn’t sure what some of it meant. “Despite the beauty of its lilting voice, it’s merciless to intruders that enter its territory. Identified as belonging to Trainer Philip Coulson. Level Five.”

“Level?” Skye looked at Liz as the Eevee kept glancing between the screen and the Fletching.

“Level refers to their overall abilities, knowledge, and skill. Essentially, the more experience a pokemon has, the higher the level. How about you try yours now?”

Liz barked in agreement, bounding a few steps in front of her to copy the Fletching’s position. Skye aimed the camera again at Liz and the familiar image of Eevee appeared. “Eevee. The evolution pokemon. A rare pokemon that adapts to harsh environments by taking on different evolutionary forms. Identified as belong to Trainer – Name unknown.” She couldn’t help but grin at that. She’d have to figure out how to change the settings. If she kept the thing of course. “Level Nine.”

“What? But I never fought anyone before?” Liz sat back on her haunches, her chest stuck out with pride. “You sneaking out at night, defending us?” Liz barked once, but her gaze stayed focused upon on the Fletchling. “Okay, so how will this work?”

“We will direct our pokemon to attack each other. No waiting for the other to go.” Skye fiddled with pokedex, trying to figure out what else it could tell her about Liz. The code appeared again, and she scanned it, before finding a path to something labeled ‘moves.’

The path lead to a screen with four phrases listed on it. These had to be what Liz could do. Some seemed obvious, like ‘tackle’ – Liz would try to attack the other pokemon. Same with ‘tail whip’ and ‘sand attack,’ though she wasn’t sure how effective either of them would be. The last one she knew definitely wouldn’t do much, as how could ‘Baby-Doll eyes’ do anything to another pokemon. She wasn’t even sure she could win this or how to heal Liz once they were done, but here they were.

“Okay when do we start?” She looked up from the pokedex.

“Now. Fletchling, tackle.” The bird followed Coulson’s command, taking to the air with a few quick flaps of its wings before diving toward Liz.

“Liz!” Skye cried out, but her warning didn’t matter. The Eevee ran forward toward the Fletchling. Liz slid beneath the attack, the Fletchling’s claws visibly grazing her fur. Popping back up, Liz turned watching the Fletchling swing back around for another attack.

“Uhh…uhh….sand attack!” Skye shouted. Liz nodded her head before charging forward. As the Fletching flew close, Liz dove to the ground again. This time, the dust and grime from the floor kicked up. A cloud of something covered the area. Liz slide out of it to Skye’s side, yipping with pride. For a moment, Fletchling seemed lost in a haze before shakingly flying out of it.

“It will take more than that, miss,” Coulson said. He nodded and Fletchling took off again. The cloud fell back to the ground, settling on the floor.

“Liz, use-” Before Skye could give Liz a command, the Fletchling slammed into her. The pokedex seemed to register it with a ‘ping,’ and even noted it with a moving green bar. She wanted to cry out, but Liz got back on her feet immediately before running toward the Fletching. No one hurt her baby. “Hit the shit out of it!”

Coulson’s smirk faulted at her words but Liz took it in stride, moving faster as the bird pokemon swung around to face her. Her tiny frame collided with the bird’s, knocking it from the air. The Fletchling bounced twice as it landed on the ground. Skye watched the Fletchling’s green line empty from the bar until it got to the halfway point and turned yellow.

The Fletchling hopped back onto its little legs, swaying before glaring at Liz. It began to chirp loudly, dangerously at the Eevee.

“Hey, don’t take that,” Skye said. Liz let loose a guttural sound, leaning back on her hind legs. She launched herself forward, covering the ground in a few seconds before throwing her body into the Fletchling. Even as she tried that, the Fletchling struck back. The two tussled along the floor, rolling several feet before fall together as a lump.

The bar emptied more until it was just a smidge of red on her pokedex. Liz slowly got up from the pile and limped her way back to her side. Skye leaned down and brushed some of her Eevee’s tuffs of hair down.

Skye kissed Liz’s forehead. “Good girl.”

“Well done,” Coulson said, nodding with approval. She looked up to see Coulson retrieve the Fletching back into the pokeball. Skye couldn’t help but stand up straighter, and she noticed even Liz did the same, even with her bruises. “Looks like you won.”

“Yeah, well, we’re tougher than we look,” Skye said.

“Seems so.” Coulson stood silent for a moment. She squirmed under his gaze. It wasn’t uncomfortable by any means, but certainly she felt scrutinized. “Ready to hear my offer?”

“Sure,” she said, dragging out the word.

“We have a few openings every year for scholarship students.” At this, he began to walk toward her. She lifted Liz up into her arms, trembling slightly at the thought. “This includes tuition, board, and a stipend for their needs. We take care of our students at the Academy, especially when others can’t.”

“What…?” Skye looked up at him. “Does that mean…?” She shifted her arms, juggling Liz and the pokedex.

“You get to keep them. So, what do you say to becoming a Pokemon trainer?”

Skye nodded, trying to keep all the other emotions at bay. She felt outside of her body, like everything was happening to someone else. Someone’s heart pounding against their chest. Their feet frozen to the floor. Arms gripping tightly a pokemon. All this and it happened to someone else. It always did. She never got a break like this, a reward for something, a handout.

“I…I…” Wanting wasn’t allowed. If you want something, you would only end of disappointed.

“Miss?” Coulson turned slightly to show the woman from before, the one with the hot, resting-bitch face. She stood a few inches taller than her, dark hair framing her angry eyes. Skye tried to hold back the shivers running through her. “If you come with me, I can show you to the showers.”

“Showers?” The woman nodded. “I…I don’t have anything to change into.”

“We can take care of that too,” Coulson said. “Agent May will escort you to the showers and while you are washing up, make sure you have something clean to wear.”

“I haven’t said yes,” Skye said. She looked back at Coulson. “And why is she an agent? And you?”

“That Skye, is something you will find out tomorrow.” He turned away from her, fully addressing May. “I will complete the paperwork. She can room with Miss Simmons for now. I think that will work out well, but we can address it later on if we need to.”

“Very well,” May said. She turned on her heel, marching out of the doorway.

“Wait, how do you know my name? And I haven’t said yes yet.” Skye scrambled to follow Agent May out of the room, glancing back at Coulson as left in another direction.

“You fought Coulson, and hacked the pokedex. That’s good enough as a yes.” May kept walking, never looking back, though with the amount of noise her feet were making through the empty hallways, there was no way the agent (an agent?) didn’t know where she was.

“But why are you agents?” May didn’t answer, just kept walking. Much like Coulson did as he led her around. Eventually, they stopped at a hallway of decorated doors, some in light pink others with images or pictures of pokemon.

“This is our girls’ dormitory. Someone will show you around in the Academy in the morning,” May said. They kept walking, reaching the end of the hallway where a large tiled room was. “Head in, take a shower and wash up. There should be some shampoo and soap in there for you to use. Just leave your clothing on the bench. They will be taken care of.” The agent turned on a dime, walking away.

Skye glanced down at her clothes. She didn’t want to give them up, they were hers. What few things she had saved really didn’t amount to much. Except the clothes on her back. She hoped they wouldn’t get rid of them.

Stepping into the spotless bathroom, Skye caught a glimpse of herself in a clean mirror. Strands of her hair clumped together and the rain water didn’t do much to clean off the dirt on her face. Her cloths hung off her too thin frame, but crinkled under the grime and mud on them. Her shoes slugged along, weighed down by the rain and the days of spending too much time in them. But under all that grime and dirt, and want, she saw the smile poking through.

“Maybe this can work out,” Skye whispered to Liz. She glanced around at the facets, stalls, mirrors, and even cabinets. Just a little further away, she saw the showers. Liz hopped out of her arms and hurried over there, barking at Skye to follow.

A set of towels lay on one of the benches. Big fluffy towels she wanted to grab and hug close to her. She ran her fingers along them, enjoying the sensations of the softness. She couldn’t’ help the giggle that escaped.

She quickly removed her jacket and peeled off the rest of her clothes. They crinkled under the strain, and it took all her effort not to throw them in the corner. They were all she owned, really owned, and she had to take care of them. No one else would. She folded them up, laying them next to the towels before slipping into the closest shower.

Hot water. Wonderful, wonderful hot, steaming, bone-searing water. It coursed down her body and she tried to soak up as much of it as she could. Liz leaned against her as she leaned against wall. The water slowly turned from muddy to clear as the pressure washed away anything she didn’t feel like dealing with at the moment. Eventually, she grabbed the shampoo. Taking a whiff she smiled down at Liz through the water rushing down her face.

“You’re first.” Skye squirted a good amount in her hands before squatting down. The water got into crevices she didn’t know she had (or at had to explore), but ignored them for now. She had more important things, like cleaning up her best friend.

Liz sniffed the shampoo out of her hand before giving her a solemn nod, as if accepting the offer. Skye ran her fingers over Liz’s fur, rubbing the shampoo in and carefully working out a few of the knots of hair she found. More dirty water rushed off Liz as the foam quickly built up around her. Skye let out a giggle as Liz shook, spreading the suds onto her and the wall.

Standing back up, she grabbed the shampoo to address her hair. It clung to her shoulders and back, and took some maneuvering to get every inch of it clean. Liz dodged the falling suds as she rinsed her hair out. She grabbed the soap and scrubbed at some of the more persistent dirt stains on her skin. By the time she was done, she felt raw and pink.

Skye leaned against the wall again, trying to relax as the warm water continued to pound against her body. It had been nearly four months since she’d been able to take a full shower instead of cleaning up in a bathroom somewhere, and nearly double that since she had the chance to relax underneath it. Most of those places wouldn’t let Liz bath, so she’d either have to sneak her in or skip washing. She wanted this all not to be a dream, but even if it was, she’d enjoy it for as long as she could.

Finally, she pulled herself away from the water and turned it off. Liz shook again, coating her with more water. She flicked her fingers at Liz. The Eevee glared at her as a water drop fell off her nose.

“Don’t look at me like that, you started it,” Skye said. She pulled back the curtain, just enough to grab the towel. Where her clothes had been a stack of new ones sat, along with a note. Her pokedex (HERS!) sat next to the clothes. She grabbed the note, the water droplets cling to her fingers smudging the words a bit.

“Your clothing will be washed and returned to your room. Leave the towels. They will be cleaned. Proceed to Room 102 and take the bed on the left when you enter.”

“Oddly specific,” Skye muttered. She grabbed one of the towels and wrapped it around her shoulders. She used the other on Liz, drying off her fur as best as she could. She shivered as the cool air hit her and quickly tried to dry off as well. With the towel wrapped firmly around her, she grabbed the pile of clothes.

It wasn’t much, well to most people it wouldn’t be much, but to Skye, they were new, clean, soft, and new. Not as soft as the towels, but still pretty damn soft. The pile had a t-shirt, sweatpants, a sweat-shirt, and a set of underwear. The symbol of the Academy was on everything, well, not the underwear. All shades of grey, but a clean grey. Not the dirty shade she was used to, the ones from being cleaned too many times. These were fresh off the rack, dyed true grey.

She slipped on the underwear, which managed to fit her. Next came the sweat pants. She had to roll the legs several times to not drag on the floor, but that was okay. The t-shirt hugged her, fit perfectly. The agents seemed to know a creepy amount about her.

“Let’s go find that room.” She grabbed the sweatshirt, holding it close enough to sniff it. A hint of lavender hit her nose and she couldn’t’ help but smile some more. With her freehand, she grabbed her pokedex and wrapped the sweatshirt around it. She had to keep it safe.

They walked out of the bathroom together, and headed back down the hallway. Liz bounded in front of her, looking up around at the doors. The Eevee stopped in front of one near the end of the hallway, close to where they entered it. Skye skipped-ran the last few steps to catch up to her.

“We didn’t get to eat, but I think this is the better than sleeping outside,” Skye said. Liz barked in agreement.

Opening the door, she was greeted with a clean bed, a full bed, one with blankets and pillows, and everything. There was a desk too, maybe a lamp on the desk, but really, there was a bed there. The bed given to her for sneaking in here, hacking a pokedex, and winning a pokebattle. Her bed.

Liz nudged her forward into the room. Skye tried to wipe her cheeks, but the tears kept coming and she wasn’t sure she could stop, not right now at least. She wanted to be strong, wanted this all to be real, but want got her nothing in life. Want left her hungry, cold and almost alone.

Dropping her clothes, she knelt down, wrapping Liz in a tight hug. “We’re going to be okay,” Sky said, sniffling a bit.

“Oh.” A voice behind her should have startled her, but Skye had Liz in her arms and she could her the Eevee. “Agent May did say you were almost done showering. Is everything alright?”

Skye gauged the owner of the voice. The young girl stood maybe a hair or two shorter than her, with brown hair that looked like it couldn’t decide if it was curled or straight. Brown eyes stared at her, a smile hesitating to pop out of her face. Skye knew she was tiny, but somehow, this girl looked smaller.

“Yeah,” Skye said. She let Liz go and quickly dried her eyes, wiping at them furiously. “We…I…” She took a deep breath and tried to give a smile. “It’s been far between good days for us.” Gathering the clothes she dropped, she put them away in the empty side of the room, in what she hoped was her dresser. The side had various posters, props, and other personal belongings. Things she never had or could claim as her own.

“So today’s a good day?” the girl asked. Skye finally turned back around, hoping she didn’t’ look too freakish or something. “Oh, I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Jemma. Jemma Simmons.” The girl held out her hand, and Skye could help but laugh at how normal this felt. She took it before Jemma looked any more disheartened.

“Skye,” she said, giving a smile to her. “And this,” she motioned toward the Eevee looking curiously up at her, “is Liz.”

“Hello Liz,” Jemma said. She knelt down to pet the Eevee. The smile that threatened to appear earlier was now in full force. “She’s beautiful. Do you think I can…?” She reached for her bag, hanging off the desk chair. “Oh, this is for you.” Jemma grabbed a plate on the desk, handing it to Skye. She stared at the sandwich for a moment. “It’s ham, cheddar cheese, a little mayo, and lettuce.”

“Tha-thank you,” Skye said. She dropped to the floor, tearing a piece of the ham for Liz. The Eevee licked it before taking it completely in her mouth. She took a bite from the other half. She smiled widely at Jemma through a mouthful of the sandwich. It was fresh and wonderful.

“You two are adorable together,” Jemma said. She sat down across from her. “Since I met Liz, I think it’s only fair that you get to meet…uuuhhh Donatello.” As she activated her pokeball, she gave Skye a chagrined look. “I’m not really creative.” A flash of light and with a little puff of air, a turtle sat on the carpet.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Skye said. She took another bit of the sandwich as Liz moved forward to meet the turtle. “What is it?” The thing was green and brown, with a little leaf – it had to be a leaf, what the hell else could it be? – growing out of its head.

“Oh, you don’t know?” Jemma said, her voice somewhere between surprised and sad. Skye tried to smile and hide her embarrassment.

“No, I…it’s been me and Liz long that well, we really never got to meet too many other pokemon.” Reaching up, she grabbed her pokedex from the safety of her bed. Tapping away, she activated it and pointed the camera at the turtle.

“Turtwig. The tiny leaf pokemon.” Her pokedex chimed. “It undertakes photosynthesis with its body, making oxygen. The leaf on its head wilts if it is thirsty.”

“So, it’s a grass type?” Skye watched the Turtwig, Donatello, stood still for Liz. The Eevee sniffed the new pokemon several times.

“Yup, though eventually, he should evolve into a grass/ground type.” Jemma smile grew from awkwardly cute to proudly (and still cute). “I plan on being a pokescientist, but Fitz – my best friend – thought we should try being a trainer first.”

“That’s great,” Skye said, returning the smile. She tried to keep the confusion off her face (what’s a pokescientist?), and focused on watching Donatello and Liz interact. “I…I’m not sure what I want to be.”

“That’s okay.” Skye took another bite of the sandwich, trying to figure out what else they could talk about; Jemma seemed to be okay though, and continued to fill in the silence. “Do you have your schedule yet? Agent May never said anything about it, but I didn’t want to pry too much.” Her lips quirked into another awkward smile as her eyes glanced back down at the Turtwig and Eevee.

“No, I kind of just got in,” Skye said. “Lost most of my stuff too, so I think they’re going to take me out to get it replaced or something.” She shrugged her shoulders with the lie, well partial lie. Most of her stuff was lost when she ran for the safety of the streets over the comfort of an unwanted foster home.

“Oh. Really? What happened to them? It is okay for me to ask?” Jemma picked up Donatello. His little legs kicked in the air as she hugged him close, but carefully. The Turtwig settled into her lap, though did give Jemma a dirty look. She patted his leaf a few times in response.

Liz circled Jemma. She sniffed the other girl, but for the most part was ignored by her. Instead, Jemma seemed content to wait and listen.

“No,” Skye said She shook her head, trying to not look at the disappointment or cute pout on Jemma’s face. “No, I…not yet.” She gives in, a little, but it’s enough for Jemma. Her smile is back, wider if possible. “I just…a lot happened and I’d don’t know the best way to explain it.” She took the final bite of her sandwich. No one gave her anything and today, she’d been given so much: a pokedex, a set of clothes, a shower, a bed, a sandwich, a chance.

“Thank you,” she whispers. Liz finally gave up investigating Jemma, and returned to nudge her side. She smiled down at the Eevee and quietly finished off the sandwich sans meat (of which was mainly lettuce, cheese and mayonnaise since Liz liked the bread too).

“Of course.” Jemma reached over and patted the hand holding the empty plate. “We should probably get to bed. You have a big day tomorrow.” She stood, moving to the other dresser. She seemed to deliberately giving Skye time for something, though what, she wasn’t quite sure. “I’m going to wash up first, and I take it you want to go to bed?” She recalled Donatello, placing the pokeball on her dresser aside what looked like her bag.

“That would be great,” Skye pushed off the ground. She glanced longingly at the bed. The thought of sleeping, on something so soft, rose up in her. And warm. Something soft and warm to sleep on usually meant a night in an unsafe place with strangers.

“Do you want to go to bed now? I just need a light on so I don’t trip over anything coming back into the room. Is that problem? Or do you like sleeping with the light on?” Jemma’ rambled a bit.

She pulled the bundle of clothing close to her chest, smiling at her. “Its okay if you do. I didn’t, but Fitz did.” She glanced over her shoulder, as if saying the name would bring whoever Fitz was to her side. “Don’t tell him said that.”

“I won’t. Scouts honor.” Skye held up here hand, trying to imitate what she thought a scout did. At least she got a giggle out of Jemma.

“So, the light? Would you like me to leave it on or off?”

“It doesn’t matter,” she glanced at Liz. “I guess, off.”

“Okay, well, good night.” Jemma gave her another smile as she walked out the door. She reached back in to turn off the light and slid her hand out as the door closed softly behind her.

In the dark, Skye glanced down at Liz, or at least her outline. “Maybe I should have said I’d get it.” She muttered. She pushed down the sweatpants, and folded them once before resting them against the seat. She dragged it closer to the bed, so it was within reach if she needed them. Finally, after stubbing her toe twice, she climbed into the bed and underneath the covers. She tossed around a bit before patting the mattress. Liz jumped up, pushing her way into the cocoon of warmth the covers were making.

If she had to, she’d be able to grab her pants and make a run for it. Not that Jemma didn’t seem like a good person. Still, only one more thing to protect for the night.

Skye slide the pokedex into the pillow case before resting her head on it. It was rough, and awkward to sleep on, even through a layer of fluff, but she would handle it. Liz poked the pillow before settling on Skye’s chest. Under the mountain of blankets, she tried to relax. She lay still, concentrating on her breathing. Liz dozed off, but it wasn’t until Jemma snuck back into the room (locking the door behind her), carefully tiptoed her way to her own bed, did Skye finally feel her heart stop racing.

Thousands of sounds, real or imaginary, would keep her awake for the night. Skye caught the distant patter of footsteps outside their door, of other students or maybe some professors or someone walking by. She heard muffled and garbled words. The pipes didn’t creak, but she heard that too. Even Jemma’s constant shuffling and rustling of sheets.

“Skye, are you still awake?” The voice in the dark - no, not her imagination - Jemma asked. She waited to respond, not sure what she should said. Jemma settled down finally, and produce a loud yawn. “Good ,” Jemma yawned again, “night.”

“Night,” Skye said after a few moments. Jemma must have fallen asleep, as the movement stopped. Liz rested comfortable against her, and her pokedex pressed against her skull. Finally, she gave up trying to stay awake.

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing from Marvel (which is owned by Disney) or from Pokemon (which is owned by The Pokemon Company).


End file.
